Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made his comments outside a book presentation in Lisbon, after he was asked about the nurses' strike and the statements by the prime minister, António Costa, about it.

"I have never commented on the behaviour of policymakers in specific processes and therefore I will not make an exception,” de Sousas said. “You know how I, since the beginning of my term, have sought to protect the social fabric, stich up the social fabric.”

The president then said that “the call that has to be made" this year, when there are three elections - European, regional (in Madeira) and legislative - is to ensure that "there is no temptation to … take the climate of confrontation to a level that ends up bringing a negative reaction from Portuguese" voters.

According to de Sousa, "the temptation to replace the debate of programmes, ideas with personal debate, people's character, personal issues" should be avoided.

The elections for the European Parliament are scheduled for 26 May, the elections to the Madeira regional assembly on 22 September and the legislative elections on 6 October.